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weather fax by SSB - help!

i'd like to obtain weather info using SSB. i am a novice in the extreme and i'm a bit confused with all the info, terminology and data.

we have a Sangean ATS909, which, i am told covers the required frequencies. i downloaded the test version of the JVComms program, plugged in the radio to the PC with the cable i got from persivell and got .... alot of black rubbish on the screen.

when checking the timetables for broadcasts, what should i be looking for? northwood or hamburg etc?
on the radio, what should i be listening for to start the software?

Location : Living on boat in Southsea Marina until tenants leave house

Join Date

Nov 2003

Posts

331

Re: weather fax by SSB - help!

Ah, yes. Fun and games. I took a long time to get anything sensible out of a Sony 7600 SW receiver feeding into a Toshiba laptop running JVComm. I came to the conclusion that the problems were caused by an electrically noisy power supply running the laptop or an electrically noisy laptop. I did eventually get some pictures but they were somewhat speckly.

It may be worthwhile playing around with the positioning of the components (radio/laptop/power supply). Have you managed to achieve the fine tuning picture shown in the JVComm help file?

Angus

<hr width=100% size=1>I could well be wrong, if so I apologise - please correct me.

Re: weather fax by SSB - help!

You could try using MScan lite (another free download) instead. It uses the PC's sound card, not serial port. JVfax has a problem with some versions of Windows. The Dos 7.1 is supposedly the best version, but won't run on Win 98 or I think 2000 or XP. I changed to Mscan about a year ago and got good pictures straight away using my Nasa Taget radio and a wire aerial to the mast foot.

Re: weather fax by SSB - help!

You could try using MScan lite (another free download) instead. It uses the PC's sound card, not serial port. JVfax has a problem with some versions of Windows. The Dos 7.1 is supposedly the best version, but won't run on Win 98 or I think 2000 or XP. I changed to Mscan about a year ago and got good pictures straight away using my Nasa Target radio and a wire aerial to the mast foot.

Re: weather fax by SSB - help!

Hi!

I have run JVComm32 for several years on both my laptop/SSB (with W98SE) and on my Sangean (at home) and have had absolutely no problems at all. It DOES however, require proper setting up, and I found this a bit tedious at first, but you only do it the once, recording the settings for future reference.

The laptop picture can be distorted if the charger is connected, though not every time in my case for some reason. JVComm32 does use the sound card not a serial port, the connecting cable running from the microphone jack socket on the computer to the headphone jackplug socket on the SSB or Sangean.

I have tried Mscan but reverted to JVComm as I found it far more reliable and stable in even marginal conditions. The latest version, still free(!) is excellent.

Re: weather fax by SSB - help!

you can download a worldwide timetable for weatherfax from <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/radiofax.htm> here </A>

a useful hint is that in order to get the sideband transmission you have to tune slightly off the stated frequency.start by subtracting 2khz from the frequency then try small adjustments around that until you get the best picture.

Re: weather fax by SSB - help!

MsScan worked great on a laptop for us, but generally the reception got better the farther out to sea we were, the signal seems to be effected a lot by electrical noise from other boats etc, once 5 miles off shore pictures were clear all the way across the pond, halfway change to Boston transmitter, but Northwood and the German Text transmissions were very good.
The German text weather covers the whole of Europe to the Canaries, was detailed and accurate for 3-4 days, seemed to be a very powerfull signal and was often the only one we could get whilst in Harbour.

Re: weather fax by SSB - help!

My own problem is the same and perhaps your problem is the same as mine

I am trying to run either JV Com or M Scan meteo weather fax programs. My computer is a Dell with windows XP Home.

I am trying to help someone solve a problem with either of these two programs.

The problem is:

When she connects the speaker/headphone output of the radio to the dell microphone input. The signal does indeed reach the programs and a fax does indeed come in but it is unreadable. It appears scrambled, like it needs serious slant correction but no amount of slant correction will make it readable.

The antenna is sound and the signal is very clear.

I tried the same thing on my own computer with my own radio and cable and have the same negative results.

2 different computer, 2 different radios, 2 different cables.

When I connect either program to my own computer through my pactor modem I do achieve excellent results but my friend does not have this.

It seems as though the weather fax programs are in some way fighting with something else.

Has anyone out there encountered the same problem and how did you solve it.